An Alternative Electro-Mechanical Finite Formulation for Functionally Graded Graphene-Reinforced Composite Beams with Macro-Fiber Composite Actuator
With its extraordinary physical properties, graphene is regarded as one of the most attractive reinforcements to enhance the mechanical characteristics of composite materials. However, the existing models in the literature might meet severe challenges in the interlaminar-stress prediction of thick,...
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MDPI AG
2021-12-01
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| author | Yu Fu Xingzhong Tang Qilin Jin Zhen Wu |
| author_facet | Yu Fu Xingzhong Tang Qilin Jin Zhen Wu |
| author_sort | Yu Fu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | With its extraordinary physical properties, graphene is regarded as one of the most attractive reinforcements to enhance the mechanical characteristics of composite materials. However, the existing models in the literature might meet severe challenges in the interlaminar-stress prediction of thick, functionally graded, graphene-reinforced-composite (FG-GRC)-laminated beams that have been integrated with piezoelectric macro-fiber-composite (MFC) actuators under electro-mechanical loadings. If the transverse shear deformations cannot be accurately described, then the mechanical performance of the FG-GRC-laminated beams with MFC actuators will be significantly impacted by the electro-mechanical coupling effect and the sudden change of the material characteristics at the interfaces. Therefore, a new electro-mechanical coupled-beam model with only four independent displacement variables is proposed in this paper. Employing the Hu–Washizu (HW) variational principle, the precision of the transverse shear stresses in regard to the electro-mechanical coupling effect can be improved. Moreover, the second-order derivatives of the in-plane displacement parameters have been removed from the transverse-shear-stress components, which can greatly simplify the finite-element implementation. Thus, based on the proposed electro-mechanical coupled model, a simple C<sup>0</sup>-type finite-element formulation is developed for the interlaminar shear-stress analysis of thick FG-GRC-laminated beams with MFC actuators. The 3D elasticity solutions and the results obtained from other models are used to assess the performance of the proposed finite-element formulation. Additionally, comprehensive parametric studies are performed on the influences of the graphene volume fraction, distribution pattern, electro-mechanical loading, boundary conditions, lamination scheme and geometrical parameters of the beams on the deformations and stresses of the FG-GRC-laminated beams with MFC actuators. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:39:17Z |
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| issn | 1996-1944 |
| language | English |
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| spelling | doaj.art-a56475dea1194bb3aac264c703671f222023-11-23T09:23:14ZengMDPI AGMaterials1996-19442021-12-011424780210.3390/ma14247802An Alternative Electro-Mechanical Finite Formulation for Functionally Graded Graphene-Reinforced Composite Beams with Macro-Fiber Composite ActuatorYu Fu0Xingzhong Tang1Qilin Jin2Zhen Wu3Advanced Rotorcraft Department, Chinese Aeronautical Establishment, Beijing 100101, ChinaAdvanced Rotorcraft Department, Chinese Aeronautical Establishment, Beijing 100101, ChinaSchool of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, ChinaSchool of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, ChinaWith its extraordinary physical properties, graphene is regarded as one of the most attractive reinforcements to enhance the mechanical characteristics of composite materials. However, the existing models in the literature might meet severe challenges in the interlaminar-stress prediction of thick, functionally graded, graphene-reinforced-composite (FG-GRC)-laminated beams that have been integrated with piezoelectric macro-fiber-composite (MFC) actuators under electro-mechanical loadings. If the transverse shear deformations cannot be accurately described, then the mechanical performance of the FG-GRC-laminated beams with MFC actuators will be significantly impacted by the electro-mechanical coupling effect and the sudden change of the material characteristics at the interfaces. Therefore, a new electro-mechanical coupled-beam model with only four independent displacement variables is proposed in this paper. Employing the Hu–Washizu (HW) variational principle, the precision of the transverse shear stresses in regard to the electro-mechanical coupling effect can be improved. Moreover, the second-order derivatives of the in-plane displacement parameters have been removed from the transverse-shear-stress components, which can greatly simplify the finite-element implementation. Thus, based on the proposed electro-mechanical coupled model, a simple C<sup>0</sup>-type finite-element formulation is developed for the interlaminar shear-stress analysis of thick FG-GRC-laminated beams with MFC actuators. The 3D elasticity solutions and the results obtained from other models are used to assess the performance of the proposed finite-element formulation. Additionally, comprehensive parametric studies are performed on the influences of the graphene volume fraction, distribution pattern, electro-mechanical loading, boundary conditions, lamination scheme and geometrical parameters of the beams on the deformations and stresses of the FG-GRC-laminated beams with MFC actuators.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/24/7802graphene-reinforced compositeFG-GRC-laminated beamelectro-mechanical coupled-beam modeltransverse shear stresses |
| spellingShingle | Yu Fu Xingzhong Tang Qilin Jin Zhen Wu An Alternative Electro-Mechanical Finite Formulation for Functionally Graded Graphene-Reinforced Composite Beams with Macro-Fiber Composite Actuator Materials graphene-reinforced composite FG-GRC-laminated beam electro-mechanical coupled-beam model transverse shear stresses |
| title | An Alternative Electro-Mechanical Finite Formulation for Functionally Graded Graphene-Reinforced Composite Beams with Macro-Fiber Composite Actuator |
| title_full | An Alternative Electro-Mechanical Finite Formulation for Functionally Graded Graphene-Reinforced Composite Beams with Macro-Fiber Composite Actuator |
| title_fullStr | An Alternative Electro-Mechanical Finite Formulation for Functionally Graded Graphene-Reinforced Composite Beams with Macro-Fiber Composite Actuator |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Alternative Electro-Mechanical Finite Formulation for Functionally Graded Graphene-Reinforced Composite Beams with Macro-Fiber Composite Actuator |
| title_short | An Alternative Electro-Mechanical Finite Formulation for Functionally Graded Graphene-Reinforced Composite Beams with Macro-Fiber Composite Actuator |
| title_sort | alternative electro mechanical finite formulation for functionally graded graphene reinforced composite beams with macro fiber composite actuator |
| topic | graphene-reinforced composite FG-GRC-laminated beam electro-mechanical coupled-beam model transverse shear stresses |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/24/7802 |
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